


Underwater

by sirenalley



Category: Free!
Genre: "date", Flirting, Fluff, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-07-14
Updated: 2014-07-14
Packaged: 2018-02-08 18:29:15
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,055
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1951632
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sirenalley/pseuds/sirenalley
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>He hasn’t asked why Sousuke invited him, and maybe he still doesn’t know, obliviousness wrapped up in the genuine desire to be friends.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Underwater

**Author's Note:**

> From a friend's prompt on tumblr where Sousuke invites Makoto on an aquarium date to get to Haru, but then realizes Makoto is too perfect and precious of a human being.

Iwatobi is a small town close to the sea, so the nearest aquarium is a train trip away, and they agree to meet at the station prior. Sousuke wears the casual clothes he’s brought from home and hasn’t had the chance to use. When Makoto shows up in the typical Iwatobi winter uniform, schoolbag slung over his shoulder, the laugh pushes out of Sousuke before he can help it.

"I-Is everything okay?"

"Yeah. Thanks for coming, Tachibana. I know it was a sudden request."

”No, I don’t mind.” Makoto rubs his neck as they board the train. “I’ve actually wanted to visit the aquarium for a while now… but isn’t it crowded in the winter?”

"Sometimes. I know the area pretty well, don’t worry. I won’t let you get lost."

This time Makoto laughs, a soft under-breath chuckle at his own expense. “I haven’t been to the city that often. Maybe once or twice, a few years ago… I guess I’ve gotten used to how small and close everything is in Iwatobi. Ah, you lived in the city before, didn’t you?”

"I went to school there." Sousuke’s eyes are drawn to him, slanted to the side while they sit together. "It’s not so scary. You get used to it."

When they reach the aquarium, it isn’t too crowded they can’t find a path through the exhibits. Sousuke sets a hand on Makoto’s shoulder to steer him in the right direction regardless, the gesture as natural as anything. When he senses the jolt of tension in Makoto’s body, he glances from the corners of his eyes, but doesn’t release him. ”What did you want to see first?”

"Uh, I wasn’t really sure. Are there any dolphins?"

"Of course," Sousuke tugs once he finds no more resistance. "It wouldn’t be much of an aquarium without them."

"You’ve been here before, right?"

"A few times." His eyes haven’t left Makoto, watchful, lips pinched into the shape of a smile that’s too sharp. "On a couple of dates with girls back at my old school."

Makoto sputters and claps a hand over his mouth, his face coloring, the same breathy laugh pushed out between his fingers. “I-I see.”

Sousuke lets go of his shoulder and waves around the next corner. ”So why dolphins? You don’t strike me as the type.”

"I like them. They remind me of someone, I guess."

"Haruka Nanase?"

Nearing the tank, Sousuke stops. The area is more crowded than the other exhibits, dolphins a popular attraction and typically one he avoids. He finds a spot for them that’s removed to the side, gauzy blue light filtering over everything like a cool blanket. The ripples of refracted light tinge Makoto’s green eyes closer to seaweed. 

"Ah, yeah. It must seem silly."

"You two are pretty good friends."

The silver body of a dolphin whips by, close enough to the glass Makoto backs up a step. “Yeah. I’ve known him for a long time.”

"What’s he like? Nanase."

He watches Makoto’s brow come together in a line, then the slight shrug, although there isn’t an inch of suspicion or confusion in his body language. He hasn’t asked why Sousuke invited him, and maybe he still doesn’t know, obliviousness wrapped up in the genuine desire to be friends. Sousuke’s chest constricts with guilty weight.

"I think he’s a little hard to describe. I’ve… never really tried, actually. Sometimes people would ask me at school." Makoto faces the lazy dolphins swimming circles behind the blue glass. "They’d want to know why he’s so quiet. Why he never wants to talk or make friends. I was the only one Haru talked to, so… I guess they wanted to know why me. When he didn’t respond to them — they just started ignoring him instead."

Sousuke’s body is turned away from the tank, his arms crossed, expression serious and sober. “They ignored you too, didn’t they?” 

"I didn’t mind that so much." Makoto’s airy laugh is even softer. "I like being Haru’s friend. Maybe it doesn’t seem that way, but making friends with other people isn’t something I’m that good at, either."

"You’re not that bad at it." He almost says _we’re here, right?_ but the words are gone from his tongue. “I couldn’t tell.”

"That’s good, at least."

"C’mon. Want to go look at the sharks?" Sousuke asks, his smile sideways and sly. "I’ll show you my favorites."

"Uh — sure."

He can read Makoto’s expression immediately. “What, you’re scared of some little sharks?” Sousuke nudges with his elbow, joking and casual about it.

"I’ve just never seen them in person. It’s different when it’s Samezuka, for some reason?" Makoto smiles, awkwardly. "You guys aren’t really that intimidating."

"I’ll have to work on that."

The tank Sousuke takes them to is much larger, and the display much emptier of people. Sousuke finds a spot at the center and leans into the railing, half turned toward Makoto. The light is darker at this exhibit, cool and deep blue with the impression of being plunged underwater. 

Makoto hesitates a bit, his eyes on the glass. A large animal swims into view from a distance as if lured, body freckled with white spots, its mouth slightly gaped open. Small fish follow like trailing silver streamers. 

"Wow," Makoto says as he finally comes over the railing. Another whale shark slowly eases into view, facing the glass and then curling away in the water. "They’re so… big. For sharks."

"Yeah, I guess so. What were expecting? Something more dangerous? Mouth full of jagged teeth, grinning like they want to eat you?"

"Something like that," Makoto laughs. Their minds are probably both on Rin. Makoto confirms it — "Didn’t Rin want to come? I’m sure he’d like it."

"Nah. I bet he’s seen plenty of aquariums."

"I’d really like to bring Haru here," Makoto says, almost to himself.

"Did he know you were coming?" 

"Ah, yeah. I couldn’t tell if he wanted to go too, though…" He continues to watch the whale sharks swim slow coils in the water. "He seemed a little strange."

It’s the perfect lead to pry, and it’s the reason Sousuke asked Makoto here specifically, of all from Iwatobi’s swim team. Tachibana knows Nanase best. But the words don’t come to him.

Sousuke pushes away from the railing. ”Next time let’s bring both of them.”


End file.
